Sensitive Plant P H N
Fabaceae:  Mimosa pudica
Sensitive plants, 2004
Sensitive Plants, 2004
2005
January 1:  No information yet.

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2004
March 7:  I put some seeds in water to soak overnight.
8:  I could not find them.
15:  I found them, with all the water dried up.   Two had apparently sprouted.   I put them in 60°C water for 25 minutes, then planted them and the rest of the seeds from the packet.   They are in a bag in the warming box, on soil under fine peat and sand.
18:  Many sprouts, 38 when counted.
21:  I transferred 28 plants into small white pots for the garage sale.
April 10:  I treated them with acid fertilizer and chelated iron.
May 7:  I took all 28 plants to the garage sale, but I still have 9 that I started later.
June 3:  I set out the plants from 9 cells against the house.   Most cells had several plants.   The plants were all tall, for sensitive plants, with sturdy stems.   They seem to like the sodium lamp.
July 31:  Doing well, larger and taller than I have seen them.
October 18:  But no flowers or seeds.
 
 
 2003
March 10:  I started 25 seeds, on the surface of 9 cells that I soaked with No-Damp.   They are in the warming box.
13:  About 3 seeds seem to be developing root sprouts.
17:  No sprouts.
20:  No sprouts, so on the hypothesis that the seeds did not react to the heat treatment because they were too dry, I picked the seeds off the soil and retreated them with hot water and planted them again.
23:  No sprouts, but some of the seeds were going mouldy.   Discarded.
 
2002
February 27:  I ordered a package of mimosa, 1006, $1.50, from Stokes.
March 27:  I started the seeds. I soaked 15 seeds in 60°C water for 25 minutes, then I put them into soil in a 9-pak, which went into a bag in the warming box.
30:  1 sprout in the evening.
31:  Still just 1 in the morning.
April 2:  2 sprouts, and I moved them out of the warming box.
May 7:  Some of the new growth was yellow, so I gave them a dose of acid fertilizer and iron chelates.
July 24:  Doing well.
September 8:  Doing very well.   A few flowers.
 
2000
March 8: I planted 9 cells today, 3 seeds per cell. The seeds are from last summer's garden. They are on the soil surface with vermiculite over them.
13: One sprout coming through.
19: I discarded the cells. There were 2 sprouts at one time, but I left the 9-pak in the covered sprouting container and I think they got mouldy.
20: Try again, with about 45 seeds in 9 cells, pressed into the warm surface, in the warming box in a plastic bag.
22: 2 seeds are sprouting. All the seeds seem to be spotted with dots of a white fungus. I dribbled a few drops of No Damp onto the seeds.
25: No signs of life.
April 8: Still no signs of growth, and all the seeds are heavily dotted with white spots. I discarded them all.
 
1999
March 26: I planted my last 8 seeds today. They were bought in 1995. I soaked them in 60°C water for 20 minutes, as directed on the package, then put them on the soil surface of 8 cells. I sprinkled vermiculite on them, and pressed down.
30: One sprout today!
31: Two sprouts visible today. The first one is having trouble getting its root down. All I can see of the second is a bit of root.
April 15: Three sprouts now. Two of them have their second leaves.
22: They seem to be showing signs of chlorosis, yellow leaves and now green veins. I sprinkled the soil of the 3 cells with about as much iron chelates as would fit on a match stick.
25: There is little sign of chlorosis now. The fourth sprout is gone.
May 1: One of the three may have died of dehydration.
29: I set out the two remaining plants.
June 30: One is flourishing, the other growing satisfactorily.
July 28: First flowers: one plant has two.
31: Flourishing. Seeds almost ready.
September 21: They froze lightly last night, but I collected the seeds today and they seem okay.
 
1996
March 8 (or 1): Planted today.
12: Sprouts
May 4: Doing well.
25: Most sold at a garage sale.
June 2: 4 set out.
September 3: Large healthy flowering plants.
 
1995
May 16: Planted 12 seeds today, from Thompson and Morgan. I soaked them for 30 minutes in 60° water, as per the instructions.
25: One sprout already!
June 1: 11 sprouts
July 29: Doing well.